Trips to Spain, Austria, Netherlands, and Portugal beckon for Ange Postecoglou’s Nottingham Forest, as the Reds embark on a first European adventure for some thirty years.

Not since the mind-nineties have supporters looked forward to trips across Europe, following the team in which they adore, but this week, they can do that, but perhaps with a little trepidation.

They’ll be somewhat anxious after a start which perhaps promised much, has fallen a little flat of late, and the impending journey to the Andalusia region of Southern Spain, where they’ll face La Liga side, Real Betis, starts an interesting fortnight of matches.

European competition’s new-look group stages mean that the Reds, along with the rest, will have a minimum of eight games to play, but for the Reds, they’ll need to play things cautiously – why? Well Betis is quickly followed back-to-back home games against Sunderland and Midtjylland, then a trip to Newcastle, between now and 5 October.

Six points in the Europa League, and six points in the Premier League, both up for grabs, and opposition couldn’t be any more different, with Manuel Pellegrini’s Los Verdiblancos Heliopolitanos having enjoyed a much better start to their season in La Liga, than Forest’s in the Premier League.

Both have played six games, with Betis’ all having come in the league, winning two and drawing three as they sit, going into the Europa League opener, in sixth, just six points off early pace-setters, Real Madrid.

Forest on the other-hand, they languish in fifteenth in the Premier League, ten points off unbeaten leaders Liverpool, and have only won once (in all competitions), exiting the League Cup in recent, dramatic fashion.

There’s been a similar amount of combined goals games involving Forest and Betis have seen so far, 19 and 16 respectively, and their top scorers have netting twice each, Chris Wood and Igor Jesus doing so for the Reds, Cucho Hernandez and Pablo Fornals for Betis, but the Spaniards’ defence is a stronger one.

Pellegrini’s back-line has only conceded seven goals thus far, and kept a clean sheet, in the 1-0 win over Alaves, conceding twice in their only defeat, a 2-1 loss to Athletic Club, and in the 2-2 draw with Levante, from what has been pretty much a settled side so far this season.

Either Pau Lopez or Avaro Vallas is the starter in goal, whilst the four man back-line of a 4-2-3-1 will come from that of Hector Bellerin, Natan, Junior Firpo and Marc Batra and one from either Ricardo Rodriguez, Angel Ortiz, and Diego Llorente.

An uber-talented, stacked midfield for Pellegrini’s stars has been mainly that of Pablo Fornals, Sergi Altimira, Rodrigo Riquelme, Giovani Lo Celso and Aitor Ruibal, he and Ortiz able to interchange perfectly on the right flank.

Although Cucho Hernandez is down as the lone striker for Pellegrini’s side, the talent behind him, with the recent starters of Nelson Deossa, Pablo Garcia, Sofyan Amrabat, Abde Ezzalzouli, and the Brazilian, Antony, shows that, although the starting eleven can, on the main, pick itself, the squad in-depth is an abundance of talent, sidled with strength and the ability to turn a game on a sixpence.

The latter three of those attacking players, Amramabt, Ezzazolui and Antony, have only started playing minutes in recent weeks so, in effect, will be fresh and raring to go, and with plenty more talent in reserve as well.

For the Spaniards, they’ve not much to worry about travel-wise, games either side of this Europa League tie being at home, to Real Sociedad (won 3-1 on Friday night), and to Osasuna this coming Sunday; their Europa League journey sees them opposing Forest (h), Ludogorets (a, Bulgaria), Genk (a, Belgium), Lyon (h, France), Utrecht (h, Netherlands), Dinamo Zagreb (a, Croatia), PAOK (a, Greece), and Feyenoord (h, Netherlands).

For supporters travelling to Spain for the Real Betis tie, FORZA GARIBALDI have put together a detailed travel guide which you can view HERE

The Reds meanwhile, they’ll be looking to stem recent upheavals that’s seen a change a manager, Nuno Espirito Santo replaced by Ange Postecoglou, an early exit from the League Cup, and, following their opening day 3-1 win over Brentford, are now winless in their last five games, which includes those aforementioned back-to-back, 3-0 losses, to West Ham United and Arsenal, they’ve also only scored three goals in their last five outings.

Something has to change for the Reds, maybe a change of scenery and a trip to Spain will bring about a kick-start to the season; only time will tell on that one.

Nottingham Forest play Real Betis in the Europa League, this coming Wednesday (24 September) night, at the Estadio La Cartuja, Seville, Spain (KO 20:00).

*Article provided by Peter Mann (Senior Correspondent).

*Main image @NFFC the Reds will play Real Betis in the Estadio de la Cartuja in Seville.